The ability to detect early signs of cancer in a patient’s blood could improve prognoses by helping doctors treat the disease before symptoms arise. Freenome, one of the companies racing to commercialize the first such screening test, on Wednesday announced it raised $270 million—money it plans to accelerate a clinical study of an experimental screening … Continue reading “Freenome Tacks on $270M to Advance Blood Tests to Find Cancer Early”
Tag: Andreessen Horowitz
Bio Roundup: ASCO Opens, Merck Takes On COVID, Evofem’s Approval & More
A year ago about 40,000 people gathered in Chicago for the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Today a virtual version of the ASCO conference, the cancer field’s largest, kicks off, with oncologists and others tuning in from throughout the country and around the world to check out the latest in cancer … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: ASCO Opens, Merck Takes On COVID, Evofem’s Approval & More”
$750M Fund Looks to Software Sector to Drive Future of Biotech
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a Silicon Valley venture capital firm best known for backing high-flying software startups such as Facebook, Lyft, and Skype, is doubling down on its foray into biotech-related bets. A16z on Tuesday revealed it has raised $750 million for its third Bio Fund. The fund is bigger than its first two combined and … Continue reading “$750M Fund Looks to Software Sector to Drive Future of Biotech”
Why Menlo Ventures Backed Construction Tech Firm Fieldwire
[Corrected 9/17/2019, 8:58 a.m, and 9/18/19, 4:53 p.m. See below.] Fieldwire, whose mobile app helps builders and construction crews coordinate their work, announced today it has lined up a total of $33.5 million across two newly disclosed fundraising rounds. The San Francisco-based construction tech company says it raised $8.5 million in a Series B funding … Continue reading “Why Menlo Ventures Backed Construction Tech Firm Fieldwire”
Splunk To Pay $1B For SaaS App Monitoring Firm SignalFx
Splunk, an IT operations management and information security company, announced today it has clinched a deal to buy cloud software application monitoring company SignalFx for $1.05 billion. San Francisco-based Splunk (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SPLK]]) says the acquisition will enable it to give businesses a real-time, panoramic view of the performance of their cloud-based applications, whether their data … Continue reading “Splunk To Pay $1B For SaaS App Monitoring Firm SignalFx”
Freenome Snags $160M to Boost Blood Test for Early Cancer Detection
Freenome, one of the rivals racing to detect the earliest signs of cancer through blood tests, announced Wednesday it has raised $160 million in a Series B funding round. The money boosts Freenome’s fundraising total to $238 million. It’s a boon for the South San Francisco startup founded in 2014, but not an unusual haul … Continue reading “Freenome Snags $160M to Boost Blood Test for Early Cancer Detection”
Could Facebook’s Crypto Break Financial System? Congress Airs Fears
In late 2017, a federal watchdog unit assigned a working group to keep an eye on cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and to sound an alert if those alternate currencies showed signs of becoming a risk to the stability of the US financial system. Soaring prices of Bitcoin and other so-called digital tokens were attracting investments … Continue reading “Could Facebook’s Crypto Break Financial System? Congress Airs Fears”
Synapse Banks $33M to Grow its Automated Back Office for Fintechs
Prominent venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has jumped in to back San Francisco startup Synapse, which has assembled a plug-in infrastructure to process financial transactions for banks as well as fintech startups. Andreessen led a Series B fundraising round that yielded $33 million for Synapse, which handles payments from checking accounts and credit cards, … Continue reading “Synapse Banks $33M to Grow its Automated Back Office for Fintechs”
Sebastian Thrun and Udacity Launch New Self-Driving Nanodegree
[Corrected 5/21/19, 11:04 am. See below.] Sebastian Thrun first made his mark on autonomous vehicle development at the dawn of that industry, when he led a Stanford team whose robot car Stanley won the $2 million DARPA Grand Challenge in 2005 by racing driverless through the Mojave Desert for 132 miles. These days, Thrun seems … Continue reading “Sebastian Thrun and Udacity Launch New Self-Driving Nanodegree”
Midwest Growth Capital Symposium to Feature VC University Seminar
Later next month, the Midwest Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) will kick off its 38th annual two-day event dedicated to showcasingthe region’s high-growth companies to a cadre of local and out-of-town investors. During the symposium, 32 companies actively seeking funding will pitch to an audience of more than 500 attendees. There will also be a tech … Continue reading “Midwest Growth Capital Symposium to Feature VC University Seminar”
Insitro Lands Three-Year Deal With Gilead to Find New NASH Drugs
Drug discovery startup Insitro burst onto the scene last year with ambitions of using machine learning techniques to find new therapies. Now the company has its first pharmaceutical partner. Gilead Sciences will work with Insitro to find medicines to treat a liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), that is fast becoming a global epidemic fueled by … Continue reading “Insitro Lands Three-Year Deal With Gilead to Find New NASH Drugs”
WI Watchlist: Foxconn Fund, UW Accelerator, MSOE A.I. Hall & More
It’s time to catch up on Wisconsin innovation news: —Jason Franklin will manage the Wisconn Valley Venture Fund, a $100 million fund formed last August by Foxconn Technology Group and three leading Wisconsin businesses and organizations: Advocate Aurora Health, Northwestern Mutual, and Johnson Controls (NYSE: [[ticker:JCI]]). Foxconn, a Taiwanese manufacturing giant, has said it’s building … Continue reading “WI Watchlist: Foxconn Fund, UW Accelerator, MSOE A.I. Hall & More”
Joining AI Drug Discovery Race, Erasca Adds $22M For Cancer Work
Erasca, a biotech startup run by the former CEO of Ignyta, debuted in December with $42 million and an audacious plan to “erase cancer,” but provided little explanation as to how. Erasca is still keeping many of those details under wraps. But Jonathan Lim, the company’s co-founder and executive chairman, this week outlined, at least … Continue reading “Joining AI Drug Discovery Race, Erasca Adds $22M For Cancer Work”
Coinbase Backs Flipside Crypto Amid “Healthy” Currency Selloff
(Updated 11/29/18, 11 a.m. with additional funding details) The crash in digital currency values has tossed fuel on the already raging fire of skepticism around many crypto projects, which are suspected as scams masquerading as a technology of tomorrow. But the price retreat—and the accompanying losses to crypto speculators—are welcome news to Dave Balter, CEO … Continue reading “Coinbase Backs Flipside Crypto Amid “Healthy” Currency Selloff”
Andreessen Leads $300M Bet on Devoted Health’s Senior Care Approach
If you had more than $300 million to try and fix the healthcare industry, how would you do it? For a startup called Devoted Health, the answer involves a combination of providing more home healthcare and support to the seniors it serves, as well as incorporating telemedicine and other technologies as part of a business … Continue reading “Andreessen Leads $300M Bet on Devoted Health’s Senior Care Approach”
Upland Software, Bumble in India, Cratejoy Layoffs, & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —One of the awardees of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowships, aka the “genius grants,” is a University of Texas at Austin professor. Lisa Schiavianto Eberlin is a chemistry professor and her research led to the development of the MasSpec Pen, which UT says enables a … Continue reading “Upland Software, Bumble in India, Cratejoy Layoffs, & More TX Tech”
Fidelity Vets Launch Castle Island Ventures, a $30M Blockchain Fund
There’s a new venture fund in town, focused on the hypiest of hyped sectors right now: blockchain systems and cryptocurrencies. It’s a small fund, but what’s interesting about Castle Island Ventures is the pedigree of the Boston firm’s founders and the careful approach they’re taking. In an exclusive interview, co-founder and partner Matt Walsh says … Continue reading “Fidelity Vets Launch Castle Island Ventures, a $30M Blockchain Fund”
Another $100M Boosts Valuation of Boston’s Actifio to $1.3B
[Updated 8/21/18, 2:13 pm. See below.] Actifio, a Waltham, MA-based data management startup that for years downplayed its development despite being worth hundreds of millions of dollars, has added another $100 million round of funding that brings its valuation to more than $1.3 billion, the company announced today. The investment included nearly $59 million in … Continue reading “Another $100M Boosts Valuation of Boston’s Actifio to $1.3B”
Blockchain Tomatoes & Edible Peels: Startups Innovate to Fight Spoilage
As much as 40 percent of food in this country is never eaten, yet 41 million people don’t have enough to eat, including 13 million children, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Some of that food insecurity is due to food spoilage, rendering billions of dollars’ worth of … Continue reading “Blockchain Tomatoes & Edible Peels: Startups Innovate to Fight Spoilage”
Boston Tech Watch: SessionM, Salesforce, Facebook, Squadle & More
It’s time to catch up on a flurry of recent Boston-area tech headlines: —SessionM, a seller of marketing automation and customer loyalty software, said it grabbed $23.8 million in venture funding from previous backers. The round was led by Salesforce Ventures, with contributions from Causeway Media Partners, CRV, General Atlantic, Highland Capital Partners, and Kleiner … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: SessionM, Salesforce, Facebook, Squadle & More”
Benchling Scores $14.5M to Grow Online Lab Notebook for Bio-Researchers
New immunotherapy approaches to cancer treatment, and the CRISPR technology for editing genetic material in cells, are among the most sophisticated research strategies scientists are using in their quest to defeat disease. But as researchers develop these techniques based on manipulating biological molecules, they may still be recording their experimental results by a method untouched … Continue reading “Benchling Scores $14.5M to Grow Online Lab Notebook for Bio-Researchers”
Why Microsoft Bought GitHub for $7.5B, and What Developers Think
Since Satya Nadella took over as CEO of Microsoft in 2014, the company’s dedication to cloud computing and developer-focused software products has been palpable. Nadella was executive vice president of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise group before taking the helm of the entire business. And revenues for the company’s cloud computing services, such as Microsoft Azure, … Continue reading “Why Microsoft Bought GitHub for $7.5B, and What Developers Think”
CAMP4 Hauls in $30M to Map New Ground with Drug Discovery Tech
One way to understand the role genes play in disease is to think of the cells in our bodies as electronic circuits. The signaling pathways that either turn a cell’s genes on or off are like wires laid out to the nucleus of the cell, says Josh Mandel-Brehm, CEO of CAMP4 Therapeutics. Cambridge, MA-based CAMP4 … Continue reading “CAMP4 Hauls in $30M to Map New Ground with Drug Discovery Tech”
Mesosphere Raises $125M To Automate App Operations for Businesses
Mesosphere, which helps businesses deploy advanced apps and automate operations within their IT infrastructure, announced Monday that it has raised $125 million in a Series D funding round. San Francisco-based Mesosphere aims to make it easier even for non-tech companies, such as retailers and cruise ship lines, to develop new digital features, such as streaming … Continue reading “Mesosphere Raises $125M To Automate App Operations for Businesses”
Shapeways Adds $30M to Push “Mass Personalization” Via 3D Printing
Shapeways, a New York-based 3D printing company, has raised $30 million in new funding to help expand its services for product designers aspiring to build successful small businesses. Shapeways, which has raised more than $100 million to date, operates an online marketplace where designers and others with product ideas can sell their 3D-printed wares, such … Continue reading “Shapeways Adds $30M to Push “Mass Personalization” Via 3D Printing”
Money, Money, Money: Funds for AI, Cryptocurrency & Other TX Startups
Welcome to part two of our roundup of innovation news from Xconomy Texas, featuring new investments in Lone Star State startups. (Click here for part one.) —PullRequest, an Austin, TX, startup that uses artificial intelligence technologies to help coders find bugs in software before its launch, has raised $8 million in funding. The Series A … Continue reading “Money, Money, Money: Funds for AI, Cryptocurrency & Other TX Startups”
E-Commerce Startups Open Door to Endless Virtual Closet
The sharing economy is moving into our bedroom closets. We already apply this idea to transportation (Uber vs. taxi) and vacation accommodations (Airbnb vs. hotel). Now, thanks to a growing number of e-commerce companies, the ability to share goods and services is being applied to our wardrobes through programs that offer clothing rentals for a … Continue reading “E-Commerce Startups Open Door to Endless Virtual Closet”
TwoXAR Lands $10M to Ramp Up AI-Based Drug Discovery Work
Drug discovery startup twoXAR has raised $10 million in funding to support its efforts to build a pipeline of drug candidates found by its proprietary artificial intelligence technology. SoftBank Ventures led the Series A round of financing, and was joined by the Andreessen Horowitz Bio Fund and OS Fund. Palo Alto, CA-based twoXAR has developed … Continue reading “TwoXAR Lands $10M to Ramp Up AI-Based Drug Discovery Work”
A16Z Bio Fund’s Pande Sees A.I. as Way to Ride Bio Innovation
As Andreessen Horowitz begins to invest the $450 million the bellwether venture firm recently raised for its second bio fund, general partner Vijay Pande has been talking increasingly about the use of artificial intelligence in the life sciences. In a presentation a few months ago at the firm’s annual a16z Summit, Pande argued that many … Continue reading “A16Z Bio Fund’s Pande Sees A.I. as Way to Ride Bio Innovation”
Andreessen Horowitz Backs Asimov’s Synthetic Biology CAD Software
Synthetic biology continues to capture the attention of technology investors. Last week, it was Boston-based Ginkgo Bioworks announcing a $275 million Series D funding round backed by the likes of Y Combinator and Bill Gates’s private investment vehicle, Cascade Investment. This week, it’s Asimov, another Boston-area synthetic bio startup, raising money. The amount—$4.7 million in … Continue reading “Andreessen Horowitz Backs Asimov’s Synthetic Biology CAD Software”
Andreessen Horowitz Floats Second Bio Fund with $450M
Andreessen Horowitz, the storied Silicon Valley venture capital firm best known for backing technology companies such as Facebook and Airbnb, is more than doubling the commitment it first made in 2015 to bring engineering to bear on the mysteries of biology and disease. Encouraged by results from the $200 million Bio Fund it created two … Continue reading “Andreessen Horowitz Floats Second Bio Fund with $450M”
Mayo Clinic and Boston Software Maker Add Qrativ to Busy A.I. Sector
This story is part of an ongoing series on A.I. in healthcare. Artificial intelligence systems have become a trendy, but useful means of extracting meaning out of the troves of scientific research and clinical data that institutions produce every year. Startups from San Francisco to Boston have launched with the goal of helping pharmaceutical companies … Continue reading “Mayo Clinic and Boston Software Maker Add Qrativ to Busy A.I. Sector”
Tour of Texas: Austin Tech in Politics, Watershed, Scaleworks & More
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. Austin: —Ottobock, a German prosthetics company with North American headquarters in Austin, has acquired Boston-based BionX Medical Technologies. BionX makes a prosthetic foot and ankle product that uses robotic technology. Financial terms were not disclosed for the deal that was announced earlier this … Continue reading “Tour of Texas: Austin Tech in Politics, Watershed, Scaleworks & More”
Meet the 15 New Early-Stage Venture Funds in Boston Tech: Slideshow
[Updated 2/6/17, 5:15 pm. See notes in photo slideshow.] Boston’s venture investing community looks a lot different today than it did just two years ago. A new crop of venture funds has emerged to back the next wave of technology startups and, as Xconomy observed last year, perhaps change the way companies get funded and … Continue reading “Meet the 15 New Early-Stage Venture Funds in Boston Tech: Slideshow”
Digitalis Launches $100M Health Fund, With Emphasis On Data
Information technology has wound itself so deeply into healthcare, this might be the year that the term “digital health”—used roughly to distinguish health-related hardware and software from drugs and medical devices—becomes quaint. One example of the ever-blurrier lines between health and technology is a new venture fund, Digitalis Ventures. The firm has already made three … Continue reading “Digitalis Launches $100M Health Fund, With Emphasis On Data”
OpenBazaar Obtains $3,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b8cbe6a1-f874-406d-a116-3725f195c118 Date 12/17/2016 Company Name OpenBazaar Mailing Address Undisclosed San Diego, CA 92121 USA Company Description OpenBazaar is a new way to trade online. By running a program on your computer, you can connect directly to other users in the OpenBazaar network and trade with them. This network isn’t controlled by a … Continue reading “OpenBazaar Obtains $3,000,000 New Financing”
Databricks Secures $60,000,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=54b57915-2106-4b72-b9aa-1051b385bd32 Date 12/16/2016 Company Name Databricks Mailing Address 160 Spear Street Berkeley, CA 94105 USA Company Description Founded by the creators of Apache Spark, Databricks makes big data analytics simple through an integrated workspace hosted as a service in the cloud. Website http://www.databricks.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $60,000,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Databricks Secures $60,000,000 Series C Funding”
Apeel Sciences Secures $33,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c3bf8760-4f86-430e-bbd1-01a913b684de Date 12/15/2016 Company Name Apeel Sciences Mailing Address 819 Reddick Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103 USA Company Description We use our natural plant-based technologies to protect crops and harvested produce, helping to eliminate food spoilage and reduce reliance on chemicals. Website http://www.apeelsciences.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $33,000,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Apeel Sciences Secures $33,000,000 New Financing”
Coinbase Secures $10,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b2868d1f-6322-4b24-a92c-eab276ea970d Date 12/12/2016 Company Name Coinbase Mailing Address 548 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94104 USA Company Description Coinbase is a bitcoin wallet and platform where merchants and consumers can transact with the new digital currency bitcoin. Bitcoin is the world’s most widely used alternative currency with a total market cap of … Continue reading “Coinbase Secures $10,000,000 Series A Funding”
SnapLogic Obtains $40,000,000 Series F Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=19b91583-3ffd-4955-843f-62f2c9fe4076 Date 12/8/2016 Company Name SnapLogic Mailing Address 2 West Fifth Avenue 4th Floor San Mateo, CA 94402 USA Company Description SnapLogic is an Open Source Internet data services solution that uses the universal standards and technologies of the Web and applies them to the problem of data integration. SnapLogic transforms data … Continue reading “SnapLogic Obtains $40,000,000 Series F Funding Round”
PatientPing Gets $32M From Leerink, Andreessen for Health Info Sharing
PatientPing has raised $31.6 million from investors on both coasts to speed up adoption of its software that helps doctors track when their patients get admitted to or released from the hospital. The Series B funding round was led by Boston-based Leerink Transformation Partners and Andreessen Horowitz, the Silicon Valley venture firm that has backed … Continue reading “PatientPing Gets $32M From Leerink, Andreessen for Health Info Sharing”
Procrastinator’s Special Ends Today for State of the Biotech Union
We’re only one day away from State of the Biotech Union, Xconomy’s annual Bay Area life sciences forum, which will take place tomorrow afternoon (December 6) at the Amgen Campus in South San Francisco. For you late decision-makers, you’re almost out of time to save on this unique event. Our Procrastinator’s Special rate ends today … Continue reading “Procrastinator’s Special Ends Today for State of the Biotech Union”
Saver Rate Ends Today for State of the Biotech Union
We’re only one week away from our annual Bay Area life sciences forum, State of the Biotech Union—and this is your last chance to save $120. This special event takes place on Tuesday, December 6th, at the Amgen campus in South San Francisco. This year, we’re holding a series of post-election discussions to assess where … Continue reading “Saver Rate Ends Today for State of the Biotech Union”
ACA or Not, Accolade Sees Growing Demand For Healthcare Innovation
As if innovating in healthcare wasn’t difficult enough, companies engaged in the endeavor now face an uncertain landscape as the incoming Trump Administration takes aim at the Affordable Care Act. Healthcare IT company Accolade, one of the bigger recent arrivals to Seattle’s healthcare innovation cluster, is watching closely. So far, CEO Rajeev Singh sees little … Continue reading “ACA or Not, Accolade Sees Growing Demand For Healthcare Innovation”
Quantopian Obtains $25,000,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5ded2450-10ae-4126-b39f-7635b7bc83a1 Date 11/15/2016 Company Name Quantopian Mailing Address 100 Franklin Street 5th Floor Boston, MA 02110 USA Company Description Quantopian is a platform for you to build, test, and execute trading algorithms. Website http://www.quantopian.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $25,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes The company, which offers a … Continue reading “Quantopian Obtains $25,000,000 Series C Funding”
Fintech Startup Quantopian Gets $25M From Andreessen & Others
Quantopian, one of Boston’s up-and-coming financial technology startups, got a big endorsement today from a well-known Silicon Valley venture firm. Quantopian said it raised $25 million in a Series C funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. (Technically it was $25.6 million, per an SEC filing.) Other investors in the round include earlier backers Bessemer Venture … Continue reading “Fintech Startup Quantopian Gets $25M From Andreessen & Others”
Cardiogram Garners $2,000,000 Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fe4cdc09-9e55-4813-b81b-a0d46bb86581 Date 10/24/2016 Company Name Cardiogram Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94107 USA Company Description Cardiogram lets you analyze and graph heart rate measurements from the Health app (requires a device with a heart rate monitor). With Cardiogram you can see how your heart reacts during an intense workout, track changes … Continue reading “Cardiogram Garners $2,000,000 Seed Financing Round”
Grab the Super Saver Rate for State of the Biotech Union on 12/6
Leaders from the life science and healthcare industries are coming together for this special event on December 6 at the Amgen Campus in South San Francisco, CA. Join us for a for a post-election exploration of the biggest health and biotechnology issues across the land. Check out our confirmed speakers—and keep an eye out for … Continue reading “Grab the Super Saver Rate for State of the Biotech Union on 12/6”
Benchling Secures $7,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=77dd86ff-31ce-4736-90b4-32565a0ec133 Date 10/5/2016 Company Name Benchling Mailing Address 170 Capp Street San Francisco, CA 94110 USA Company Description Benchling is a life science data management and collaboration platform. Website http://www.benchling.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Thrive … Continue reading “Benchling Secures $7,000,000 New Funding Round”
In Cloud Security Move, Akamai Scoops Up Soha Systems
Akamai has announced its second acquisition in less than a week. The Cambridge, MA-based technology company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) said Tuesday it has acquired Soha Systems, a startup based in Sunnyvale, CA. Terms of the all-cash deal were undisclosed. Soha makes software to help businesses remotely and securely access applications hosted in data centers and hybrid … Continue reading “In Cloud Security Move, Akamai Scoops Up Soha Systems”